Feist, Dawes and Mumford & Sons @ The World Cafe Live.

Text and images by Kirsten Stamn.

For World Cafe’s 20^th anniversary, WXPN put on one star-packed show Saturday with headlining guest Feist (above), as well as Dawes (right) and surprise guests Mumford & Sons (below).

Hosted by the radio program’s David Dye, the concert was both intimate and thoughtful, with both the musical guests and the hosts expressing gratitude for all that the show has been able to achieve over the past two decades, giving both fledgling and established musicians a platform to be heard.

Mumford & Sons started off the night with a crowd-pleasing mix of songs from their album Sigh No More, with Dawes later joining them onstage for a rollicking collaboration that has spurred rumors that the two bands may join forces for a future tour.

When Dawes took the stage, lead singer Taylor Goldsmith grinningly told the audience, “We have no idea how we landed this gig.”

Their danceable folk music had the crowd seriously in the groove. After one more appearance from Mumford & Sons, the crowd rewarded both groups with a standing ovation.

Feist’s electrifying performance capped off the night. Backed by folk group Mountain Man, the Canadian songstress played songs predominantly from her newest album Metals but also incorporated some old favorites like “My Moon My Man,” making sure to rearrange the music so that it stayed fresh.

With breath-stopping, visceral rhythms and beautifully layered harmonies, Feist plucked on her guitar and trilled out notes with abandon, laughing off any technical errors that came her way and coyly joking with the crowd about how the show was being broadcast live.

After the crowd finished dancing to her set, she returned for an encore with a moving rendition of “Let It Die,” which received another standing ovation.

(Below: Mumford & Sons with Dawes)

(Below: Feist)